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DE RUEHVEN #0148/01 1561525
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041525Z JUN 08
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5764
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCFE/CONVENTIONAL ARMED FORCES IN EUROPE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1673
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0528
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000148 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM OSCE PREL GG RU
SUBJECT: GEORGIA/RUSSIA/OSCE: RUSSIA STONEWALLS AT VIENNA 
DOCUMENT CONFRONTATION WITH GEORGIA 
 
REF: A. USOSCE DAILY REPORTS MAY 30 - JUNE 4 
     ¶B. 2008 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  To address tensions between Georgia and 
Russia, the Finnish CiO convened three back-to-back meetings 
in Vienna on June 4 at the request of both Georgia and 
Russia.  This was the first ever invocation of the Vienna 
Document 1999(VD99) Chapter III Risk Reduction mechanism.  In 
a style designed to win over the Europeans present, Georgia's 
Deputy Minister of Interior calmly and succinctly pressed 
Georgia's case and promised no more UAV flights if Russia 
would withdraw the troops and heavy armaments recently 
introduced into Abkhazia. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Completely isolated, Russia's OSCE Chief Arms 
Control Delegate stonewalled and refused to budge from 
Moscow's denial of involvement in the April 20 UAV shoot down 
over Abkhazia, despite the findings in the recent UNOMIG 
report.  The Georgian and Russian delegations will now decide 
whether either side wishes to call for a joint PC/FSC 
meeting.  This could happen as early as next week, and 
Georgia hopes US military experts who reviewed the data could 
attend and be prepared to verify their findings.  Vienna 
delegations meanwhile are looking to the expected meeting in 
St. Petersburg between Presidents Saakashvili and Medvedev to 
break the deadlock.  End Summary. 
 
RUSSIA STILL IN DENIAL OVER UAV INCIDENT 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The meeting, actually three meetings back to back, 
was called by the Finnish Ambassador Antti Turunen, 
representing the OSCE CiO, in response to Georgian and 
Russian requests under VD99 Chapter III, Risk Reduction 
(refs).  Ekaterine Zguladze, Deputy Minister of Interior of 
Georgia, presented Georgia's offer for dialogue and 
negotiation in an elegant, succinct style that was meant to 
appeal to the numerous Ambassadors from European countries. 
Lamenting that Russia showed its disrespect by sending no one 
from Moscow, she gave no quarter, deflecting Russian attempts 
to hide behind procedure or excuses, such as "we did not 
receive original videos or radar records." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Zguladze pointed out that Georgia had given Russia 
this data on April 23 in New York, and she demanded that 
Russia hand over its own radar data, "the only original 
documentation still withheld from investigators."  She said 
Georgia had received the UNOMIG report and, unlike Russia, 
had taken it seriously.  Georgia had suspended UAV flights 
and these would remain suspended, she announced, as long as 
Russia removed the new troops and heavy armaments introduced 
recently into the Abkhazia region of Georgia. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Even with this concession, Russian Arms Chief Arms 
Control Delegate Ulyanov refused to rise to the occasion, 
offering neither new explanations nor new accusations of 
Georgian misdeeds.  He conceded nothing but Russia's 
continuing condemnation of Georgia's alleged provocative 
stance. 
 
NUMEROUS INTERVENTIONS SUPPORT GEORGIAN TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In private consultations prior to the meetings with 
other delegations, USOSCE had urged them to intervene as an 
indication that we were taking Georgia,s complaints 
seriously and understood their point of view.  Many 
responded, with the UK, France, Germany, Romania, Latvia, 
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Sweden, 
Canada and Turkey taking the floor.  All noted the 
objectivity and clarity of the UNOMIG report -- their way of 
agreeing that Russia had some explaining to do.  All 
reiterated support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial 
integrity.  No delegation took the floor to support the 
Russian version of events. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Turkish Ambassador agreed with the Finnish 
Chair, who had said that his government hoped the meeting in 
Vienna would help create the right climate for a productive 
 
USOSCE 00000148  002 OF 002 
 
 
meeting between Presidents Saakashvili and Medvedev scheduled 
for June 7.  Turkey also put in a dig at Russia over its 
"suspension" of CFE implementation.  In addition to using 
prepared points received from Washington, U.S. Ambassador 
Finley questioned why Russia had not turned over its own 
radar data as had been requested and cast a jaundiced eye on 
Russian excuses for not engaging forthrightly over the UAV 
shoot down. 
 
RUSSIAN INVOCATION OF VD99 AGAINST GEORGIA 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU)  Regarding Russia's own invocation of VD99 
mechanisms, Ulyanov almost exclusively stuck to the script of 
the two Russian letters that invoked the mechanism (refs). 
In reply, Zguladze asserted that Georgia had done nothing of 
"unusual military significance" in the Upper Kodori Valley or 
anyplace else in Abkhazia.  She said it was not correct to 
use VD99 to try to enforce the Moscow Agreement, conceding it 
was a document that everyone was having trouble implementing 
properly.  One could only conclude, she said, that Russia 
intended to use VD99 mechanisms to stall, confuse the 
international community and waste everyone's time. 
Nevertheless, she said Georgia would answer the charges and 
went on to reject categorically Russia's allegations. 
 
NEXT STEPS IN VIENNA 
-------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) According to the VD-99 mechanism, the CiO is now on 
the hook to produce a report of the meeting. Georgia and 
Russia said they would consult on whether they would take the 
next step in the process by calling for a joint PC/FSC 
meeting in Vienna.  Either or both may ask for such a 
meeting.   If that happens, the request starts a 48 hour 
clock.  It is not expected that the meeting would take place 
before the middle of next week. 
 
¶10. (SBU) We understand from Embassy Tbilisi that Georgia's 
Deputy FonMin has asked for the U.S. military experts who 
traveled to Georgia to examine radar/video data be made 
available to appear at the OSCE soon, presumably at the 
abovementioned joint PC/FSC meeting in Vienna to verify their 
findings.  If there is a meeting at which military experts 
are invited, U.S. Mission would recommend the U.S. military 
experts attend the meeting and be prepared to participate. 
FINLEY